how to stop wifi starting on boot in ubuntu

By , Published June 7, 2010

To most of us Ubuntu starting the Wi-Fi connection automatically on log-in is a great boon – it lets us get online much quicker. For some, however, it is an annoyance. Below is an easy guide for disabling the auto feature, instead allowing you to manually turn Wi-Fi on when you so choice €“ a great way to save battery life.

This feature annoyed Pablo from usemoslinux, who is sharing his relatively simple solution with OMG! reader.

How to disable auto-start Wi-Fi

Let's get down to business. Open up the gedit text editor (Applications > Accessories) and enter the following text: -

dbus-send – system – type = method_call – dest = org.freedesktop.NetworkManager / org / freedesktop / NetworkManager org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Set string: string org.freedesktop.NetworkManager: WirelessEnabled variant: boolean: false

Double check you've copied it correctly and proceed to save the file as 'disable WiFi'.

We now need to give it permissions to run. Open up the file browser and locate the file you just saved. Right click on it & select ‘Properties' followed by the 'Permissions' tab. Check the box next to 'Allow executing file as a program.'. Click 'Okay'.

To get WiFi to be disabled on boot we need to add the script to the start-up roster.

Head up to System> Preferences> Startup Applications.

Click the Add button and enter a name for the script (something like 'Disable WiFi' is good). In the 'command' field you need to enter the path to the file. E.G.: -

/home/scripts/disable wifi

Once you're all done click 'Okay' and et voila – No more WiFi auto-starting on boot! To turn WiFi on you simply need to click on the Network Manager icon and choose 'Enable wireless'.

Thanks to Pablo

Article originally appeared on omgubuntu.co.uk

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  • http://twitter.com/johnsto Dave Johnston

    I wonder if this could be combined with a keypress held down when X starts or something? (A bit like how on Windows machines if you holding shift down while inserting a CD, AutoRun is skipped)

  • Kaspar

    leaving a space in the file name is not very good… you either need to use “" in the command strip or use the before space

  • Anonymous

    Tell us how to stop bluetooth from auto starting!

    • http://netbit73.blogspot.com NetBit

      sudo gedit /etc/rc.localand add :/etc/init.d/bluetooth stop

      before EXIT

    • Paradiesstaub

      Disable it in the ‘Startup Applications’ menu.

    • Zlow2009

      Install Jupiter from sourceforge and then click lightning bolt then devices then disable bluetooth.

    • Zlow2009

      Install Jupiter from sourceforge and then click lightning bolt then devices then disable bluetooth.

    • Zlow2009

      Install Jupiter from sourceforge and then click lightning bolt then devices then disable bluetooth.

  • Anonymous

    I have a switch on my laptop to do that :D I guess almost all them do . Though I never was in a situation where I wanted to do that .

  • http://netbit73.blogspot.com NetBit

    how to made autostart wifi before autologon?

  • Zlow2009

    That, or if you aren’t a super geek you can install Jupiter from source forge and then click the lightning bolt then Devices then Disable WIFI.

  • http://olympusdigitalpen.blogspot.com/ dr. watson

    My problem is that for some reason Ubuntu will not auto connect to my home wifi. At work, it connects without a problem, at home I have to manually select the network.

    • Kaspar

      if you go to “edit” the connection, is the autoconnect box ticked? if it is and it still does not connect, file a bug

      • http://olympusdigitalpen.blogspot.com/ dr. watson

        Thanks ! Man,do i feel stupid. It wasn’t set to auto-connect, though that’s weird because by default all connections I setup connect automatically.

  • http://ubuntu-chronicles.blogspot.com/ Tyson Diddley

    I think that the Wifi state should just persist across a reboot.

  • Anonymous

    So… there are people out there who have wireless, but don’t use it, supposedly to increase battery life or some such? I guess if most of your work is offline and you have a craptop, it might make more sense to disable wireless outright. Seems like a fairly rare scenario.

  • Anonymous

    So… there are people out there who have wireless, but don’t use it, supposedly to increase battery life or some such? I guess if most of your work is offline and you have a craptop, it might make more sense to disable wireless outright. Seems like a fairly rare scenario.

  • Anonymous

    So… there are people out there who have wireless, but don’t use it, supposedly to increase battery life or some such? I guess if most of your work is offline and you have a craptop, it might make more sense to disable wireless outright. Seems like a fairly rare scenario.

  • Anonymous

    Is there a way to, not only have it come on every time, but to connect to a given AP every time?

    I have a special situation… http://CounterMoon.org but I hate having to login to get it to connect.

  • Anonymous

    Is there a way to, not only have it come on every time, but to connect to a given AP every time?

    I have a special situation… http://CounterMoon.org but I hate having to login to get it to connect.

  • Anonymous

    There are too many spaces in that command… it won’t work.

  • Anonymous

    There are too many spaces in that command… it won’t work.

  • Anonymous

    There are too many spaces in that command… it won’t work.

  • http://pournaras.opaf.org/ Anax

    An “easy guide’ would be something like “click on the WiFi symbol and uncheck ‘start wireless during boot’”. Ubuntu is great, but for some things it still needs some polishing in order to reach the masses.

  • http://www.steenbe.nl tsteenbe

    There is a much easier way to diable Wi-Fi at start using rfkill

    http://wiki.steenbe.nl/2010/06/02/ubuntu-9-10-how-to-disable-bluetooth-or-wifi-at-startup/